[This is an updated version of a previously-written column]
We looked last week at ways to speed up computers running Microsoft Windows. I received so many good responses to the article that I’ve decided to present you with a few more easy-to-implement Windows tweaks.
Use a faster antivirus program. Antivirus programs are always running in the background, and some programs put a bigger load on your system than others. This means that some antivirus programs make your computer run slower than others. Many times it’s not so much the antivirus program itself that is slow, but the fact that it is bundled together as part of an anti-everything “Security Suite” that even includes a proprietary firewall program.
As popular as they are, newer “suites” like this from Symantec/Norton, McAfee and Trend Micro can really impact your computer’s performance. Sometimes, disabling the suite’s proprietary firewall component and reverting to the Windows firewall can speed things up a lot, but some products do not give you this flexibility. The best thing may be to change to a faster antivirus product. My favorites are from Eset, Avira and Avast.
Change “Visual Effects” performance. With Windows XP, click Start, right-click on My Computer and select “Advanced.” Click PerformanceVisual Effects. Pick “Adjust for best performance,” and click OK. This will disable some of the silly, shiny, speed-choking fluff that comes with Windows. With Windows Vista and 7 the process is Start, right-click Computer, Properties, Advanced System Settings.
Disable the Indexing Service. Unless you spend a spectacular amount of time searching for file contents and names, you don’t need the resource-hogging Indexing service. Open My Computer (or, “Computer” in Vista and 7), right-click on your hard drive (C:), and select Properties. Uncheck the “Indexing” box, and click OK.
Finish Defragmenting. Last week, I recommended that you defragment your hard drive using the Windows Disk Defragmenter program. However, this program does not do a complete enough job to make me happy, as it leaves the Registry and Paging files untouched, as well as the Event log and Hibernation files.
To complete your defragmenting chores for Windows XP, Vista and 7, try UltraDefrag, found at ultradefrag.sourceforge.net. I have not done a thorough, side-by-side comparison between UltraDefrag and the Windows defragmenter, but I suspect that many folks will end up using UltraDefrag exclusively.
There are also commercially made defragmenting programs for people who don’t mind spending some money to ease the defragmenting process. The two most popular are PerfectDisk from Raxco Software (perfectdisk.raxco.com) and Diskeeper from Diskeeper Corp. (www.diskeeper.com). PerfectDisk seems to have a slight edge, but both are fine programs. Both companies also offer free trial version downloads, so you can try the products before committing to a purchase. Paid versions start at around $30.
Run Check Disk. It’s also a good idea to occasionally (once every 30-60 days) run Microsoft’s Check Disk utility. This “hidden” program will examine your hard drive for errors and attempt a fix. Open My Computer (or, “Computer” in Vista or 7), right-click on the drive you wish to examine, and click Properties. Click Tools, and select “Check now” under Error Checking. You’ll be required to reboot the computer to start the program. Be advised that Check Disk is very thorough and can take some time to finish.
Happy tweaking!